Invisu Visits Toronto For Second Trade Visit as Part of Innovate UK’s Advanced Manufacturing GIP

On 27^th January 2024 we travelled to Toronto for a week-long second market visit with 6 other UK companies after being selected last year by Innovate UK to be part of their Global Incubator Programme for Advanced Manufacturing Canada.

Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK EDGE, is an acceleration programme for innovative businesses to work with world-leading global incubators.

Monday

The first day of our market visit commenced with a Capital Strategy Workshop, delivered by Patrick Heffron. The workshop covered understanding dilutive capital options, navigating funding processes, demystifying valuations, managing investors, and handling dilution in Seed and Series A rounds. A very informative session.

Later that day the cohort was invited to attend an exclusive Canada-UK Innovation Roundtable networking event with policy makers, including the Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology at the Ontario Investment & Trade Centre. A fantastic event that gave the cohort the opportunity to discuss future developments in technology with government officials.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we spent the day at MaRS undertaking a Storytelling Workshop hosted by Jennifer Burke. The workshop allowed the cohort to prepare for the upcoming Manufacturing Demo Day by learning about effective communications and delivering presentations with confidence.

Wednesday

Wednesday began with a growth peer to peer event at MaRS where local founders gathered to network and share actionable insights. The interactive event provided an opportunity for us to connect with like-minded founders and exchange strategies around marketing and social media.

Following this we travelled back to the Ontario Investment & Trade Centre to meet with Invest Ontario who discussed their advanced manufacturing programme which emphasised the province’s commitment to driving innovation and economic prosperity. A very informative Q&A session which provided information around investment opportunities and cutting-edge technologies.

In the afternoon we travelled to Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research Hub (DAIR) in the North York District. We were given a tour of the impressive hub which provides a platform for industry, academia, and government synergies to advance R&D partnerships and advocate for the aerospace industry globally. Thank you to Phil Arthurs and colleagues for an enjoyable afternoon. Very inspiring to see so many young people engaging with aerospace as they train for a future within the industry.

Our day wrapped up with a lab tour at the Facility for Research on Aerospace Materials and Engineered Structures (FRAMES), Toronto Metropolitan University with Dr Fayazbakhsh (Associate Professor). We heard about the latest research and development coming out of Canadian institutions, along with demonstrations of 3D printing.

Thursday

Thursday began with a Manufacturing Research Roundtable where industry experts, researchers and professionals gathered at the MaRS business centre to discuss the latest trends, innovations, and challenges in the manufacturing sector.

The day concluded with us attending the exciting Advanced Manufacturing Demo Day which the cohort had been planning for over the past few weeks. This provided a platform for all 7 UK businesses to showcase their businesses during a 5-minute presentation, alongside Q&A session, to potential partners and customers. A very enjoyable evening of networking and building new relationships with industry peers.

Friday

Our visit concluded with an investor brunch, followed by an Autodesk Tour and Talk. Autodesk provided a first-hand look at cutting-edge technologies, solutions, and latest advancements in manufacturing.

Thank You

Outside of the arranged programme we were able to arrange meetings with Martin Buckle (The British Canadian Chamber of Trade and Commerce) and Nadine Oliver (Toronto Global) who were incredibly helpful. Thank you for your time and assistance.

It has been great to introduce Invisu to the Canadian market during our second visit, meet new businesses and build relationships in the sector. We are now excited about furthering the connections we have made and working with companies in the Ontario region and beyond.

Thank you to Innovate UK and MaRS Discovery District for your incredible support over the past 6 months.